Island



5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

on M 0 G L I W v (No Model.)

STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

W75? 13"0761 I I f \f.

(No Model.) 5 Sheet-Sheet 2; .F. WILOOM-Bi STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 463,560, Patented Nov. 17', 1391.

5 Shets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

. F. WILOOMB. STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

110. 463,560. Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' F. WILOOMB.

STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 463,560. Patented Nov. 17,1891.

(No Model.)

5 Sheets--Sheet 5,

F. W-ILGOMB. STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Nov.

THE roams Prrzns co., mmumu, WAENINHI'ON, m c.

Nrrnn STATES FFICE.

FRANK \VILCOMB, OF PROVIDENCE, ASSIGNOR TO WM. H. HASKELL, OF PAWTUCKET,RHODE ISLAND.

STRAIGHT-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPEClFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,560, dated November1'7, 1891.

Application filed Tune 13, 1891. Serial No. 396,170. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK W1LooMB,acitizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and Stateof Rhode Island, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsinStraight- Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to straight latch-needleknitting-machines designed to knit a tubular fabric and automaticallyshape the same; and it includes mechanism for introducing new needles insuch a manner for widening the fabric as will cause the crossing of thethread to prevent the formation of holes in the fabric where the newneedles are brought into act-ion.

It includes the particular operating mechanism by which the needles arecontrolled in their movements to cross the thread at the ends of therows when knitting plain, in order to form a mock seam in the fabric toimitate regular fashioned goods.

It includes, further, a special form of non-- reversible thread-carrierfor feeding first one row of needles and then the other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the machinewith parts broken away. Figs. 1 and 1 are views of details. Fig. 2 is aplan view with parts removed and parts in section. Fig. 3 is atransverse section through the upper part of the machine. Figs. 4:, 5,and 6 represent, respectively, a front, a plan, and a sectional view ofthe threadguide. Fig. 7 is an end view of the machine, partly insection. Fig. Sisa bottom plan view of the cam-bar. Fig. 9 is a planview of the upper face of the cam-bar. Fig. 10 is a rear View of thebar. Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 represent in diagrammatic form theneedles and the notched slides controlling the same.

The needles to are operated through jacks b from cam bars A, which arereciprocated through connections to the cam-shaft, consisting of thelever B, pivoted to the frame at 1, Fig. 1, and loosely connected by apin and depending fork 3 to a cross-head at, to which the cam-bars areattached. The cross-head slides on a bar 5, projecting from the end ofthe machine, and which is sustained by a bracket 6, projecting from themachine-frame and shown broken off in Fig. 1. The lever B is connectedby a pitman' 2 to a cam or face wheelazon the cam-shaft C. This isdriven from the main shaft D by a pinion 7 and agear 8. The nibs of thejacks I) travel in the cam-groove 10, Fig. 8, and unless the jacks arepushed forward, so that the nibs will engage with the inclined portionsof the stitch-cam 11, the j acks and needles will remain inactive, andfor the purpose of this invention it is intended that first one row ofjacks and needles shall remain inactive and then the other. For movingthe jacks with their needles to engage the stitch-cams a second set ofjacks o is employed under tension of springs 12. These jacks are heldnormally in retracted position against the tension of the springs bynotched slides E F working in the notches 13 of the jacks; but wheneither slide is moved so that the notches thereof align with the jacksall the jacks on that side are released and are free to move forwardwhen the inclined supplemental cam-groove 14 comes opposite them and intheir upward movement, which takes place in succession, these jacks ofthe lower set strike those of the upper set and move them into thestitch cam-groove 11 for the ordinary knitting operation. The upper nibsof the lower jacks ordinarily (or while inactive) are slightly off thelower face of the cam-bar, thus preventing friction, and when the jacksare released to be pushed forward by the springs these nibs enter thesupplemental cam-groove when it arrives at that point. The notches ofthe opposite controlling-slides E F alternate in position, the notchesof the slide on one side being opposite the teeth in the other slide, sothat the jacks with their needles are released on one side, while thoseon the other side are held by the teeth of the slide on that side. Theslides shift their position at the end of the cam-bars stroke in eitherdirection to effect the alternate release of the opposite row ofneedles, and this shifting movement in knitting plain goes on regularlyand is secured by a lever' cl, pivoted in a slotted bracket 15, one endhaving a roller acted on by a cam 50, and the other end engaging acircumferential groove in a collar 17, fixed on a screw-shaft 8. Thisshaft has longitudinal movement by means of the lever and cam inonedirection,

- slides either way is equal to one-half the distance from needle toneedle, and by reference to Figs. 11 to 15 it'will be seen that at theend of the rows of regular notches in the slide E a tooth 20 of doublewidth is form ed, while opposite in the slide F a notch 21 of doublewidth is formed, and next to the double tooth in the slide E anadditional small notch 20 is formed. This construction is provided inorder to permit crossing the thread at the ends of the rows in wideningthe fabric to prevent the formation of holes, and also to cross thethread at the end of the needle-rows in plain knitting. Supposesixty-one needles in each row are being used, then when the slides arein the position of Fig. 11 all the needles of the front row, (or thatcontrolled by the slide 15,) excepting the end needle 01, are active andthe thread is taken by these needles successively, while the needles inthe back row, excepting the end needle 61 in the wide notch 21*, are allinactive. The thread therefore misses the needle 61 of the front row andcrosses to the needle 61 of the back row. The slide then shifts, as inFig. 12, and on the return of the carrier the thread is taken by theneedle 61 of the front row and then crosses to needle of the back row,and along said row to the end, and when the thread-carrier reaches theleft the slides shift back to the position of Figs. 11 and 13, and theoperation of crossing and recrossin g the threads is repeated. \Vhen theshaping of the fabric begins, the slides, after returning to theposition of Fig. 13, do not shift to the left, as above explained; butat the end of the right-hand stroke of the machine they are given anadditional movement to the right, as in Fig. 14, thus bringing intoaction a new needle 62 of the front row, and the thread is then loopedabout this as the carrier returns to the left and then crosses to backneedle 61 and along the back row. At the next course the slidesmoveagain to the right, as in Fig. 15, rendering the front needles (oppositethe notched portion of the slides) active, excepting needle 62, andbringing in a new back needle 62, the thread crossing to the said backneedle at the end of the course. Two new needles are thus brought intoaction-one in each row-and the slides shift to the left for knitting anydesired number of plain courses, as first explained, with the needles62, the fabric being widened by two new wales and the thread beingcrossed and recrossed to close the openings ordinarily left by the newneedles. This widening movement of the slides is affected by therotation of the screw-shaft, which moves the nut and cross-head to theright in excess of the regular longitudinal movement of the screw-shaftand notched slides to the left, and this rotation of the shaft isdetermined by pattern mechanism. A spring-actuated pawl 21 in the fixedgrooved collar 17 is engaged by a toothed rim 22 of a loose pinion 23. Arackbar 24-, under tension of a spring 25, engages the pinion, and aroller 26 on its lower end bears on a cam 27. The rack is held upinactive by a bell-crank lever 28, engaging a pin 29 on the rack-bar,which projects through a slot 30 in the cap-plate 31. Then thecatchlever is withdrawn by means of a lug on the pattern-chain 32,raising the lever 33 and drawing upon the rod 3 T, the spring 25 drawsthe rack-bar down and turns the loose pinion backward withoutetfechthespring-pawlbeing beveled, as shown, to permit this; but when the highpart of the cam 27 lifts the rackbar, the pinion is turned forward andthrough the notched rim 22 and pawl turns the fixed collar and theshaft, causing the screw-nutf to travel along it and move the cross-headand notched slides. The lever 28 and the patternlever 33 are returned tonormal position bya spring 70. The nutf is movable vertically betweenjaws on the cross-head, and is pressed normally upward by a spring36,and may be detached from the screw bya cam-1ever 37, connectedthereto by a stem 38, which passes through a portion of the cross-headdepending through a slot in the bracket 15. XVhen detached the crosshead with the notched slides maybe shifted to their extreme limit to theleft after having widened, for beginning anew fabric, and a stop 38 isprovided on the screw-shaft to determine the position. The screw-shaftis retained against rotary displacement by a spring-actuated pawl 39,Fig. 1,which is seated in the bracket 15, and engages notches in thegrooved collar 17. This does not interfere, however, with the freelongitudinal movement of the screwshaft. The pattern-chain passes over asprocketdru1n 39 loose on a shaft 43, and this is provided with aratchet-wheel to which movement is given by a pawl 40, carried by an arm41, fixed to the shaft 43, which is rocked byacain 42 through an arm 43and a spring 4A. A detentad prevents the ratchet and the pattern-chainfrom retractin In order to prevent the entire row of lower jacks whenreleased from bearing upon the lower side of the cam-bar and thuscreating friction, aseries of dogs 45 are provided, Fig. 3, which engagethe nibs of the jacks and hold them back. These dogs have nibs fittingin a cam groove 46, in the rear side of the cam-bar, and, as shown inFigs. 8 and 10, this groove has a rise opposite the stitch-cam, so thatthe lower jacks are released from the dogs in succession when thestitch-cam comes in line therewith.

I employ movable sinkers 47, which act to measure off the yarn for the,loops and to hold the web withoutrequiring a weight. These are operatedby cam-bars 48, which are connected with the main cam-bars by the curvedarms 49. A

In order to vary the length of the stitch, I mount the Wingsofthe'stitch-cam upon a plate 51, having an enlarged opening to admitthe V-cam 52, which is fixed to the bar. The plate 51 may be slid tomove the wings closer to or farther from the V-cam, and for this purposea plate 53, having an inclined slot, is adjustably held, the slotreceiving a block 54 on the end of the pin 55 of the plate 51. The plateis connected to a bar 56, extending through a bearing 57 on thecrosshead of the cam-bar, and this bar is threaded and made adj nstableby the nuts 58. These devices for varying the length of the stitch arethe same on both sides of the machine.

The thread-guide 59 is composed of abar extending longitudinally betweenthe needlerows, having beveled faces forming a knifeedge 60, adapted toopen and hold the latches of the needles. A central opening 62 is formedthrough the guide and its stem 61 for the passage of the thread, andthis opening is elongated at its mouth and has inclined ends or corners,as shown, which terminate on opposite sides of the knife-edge, so thatin going one way the thread will be directed on one side of the saidedge,'and in going in the opposite direction it will be directed on theopposite side of the said edge, thus feeding one row of needles and thenthe other. The thread-guide is supported in an arm 65, pivoted to astandard 66 on one of the cam-bars. The arm is held normally down by aspring 67; but it may be raised, when desired, to lift the guide topermit access to the needles.

The method of knitting disclosed herein and the fabric produced therebyis the subject of an application for United States Patent filed by me ofeven date herewith, Serial No. 396,171.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, the needles, the cambars,means for moving the needles into operative position, and the slidesacting alternately to lock said means in their inoperative positionfirst on one side of the machine and then on the other, and operatingmechanism for the slides, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the needles, the cambars, means for moving theneedles into operating position, the locking-slides to retain the saidmeans inoperative first on one rowand then on the other, mechanism foroperating said slides to and from their locking position, and devicesfor giving said slides an additional movement for shaping the fabric,substantially as described.

3. In combination, the needles and cambars, meansfor moving the needlesinto op erative position, a pair of locking-slides having notchesarranged to release said means alternately first on one row and then onthe other when said notches align therewith, and

means for operating the slides in unison, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the needles and cam-bars, means for forcing theneedles into 7 set with relation to each other, one of said slideshaving a Wide tooth opposite a wide notch at the end of the other slideand an additional small notch, and the operating means for the slides,substantially as described.

5. In combination, the needles, the cambars therefor, the jacks andsprings for forcing the needles forward into operative position, theslides, with means for operatingthem to lock and release the jacksalternately, and the holding-dogs for the jacks, the said cambars havinggrooves for operating the dogs, substantially as described.

(5. In combination, the needles and cambars, the means for moving theneedles forward into operative position, the notched locking-slides, thecross-head, and the operating connections leading to the main shaft,substantially as described.

7. In combination, the needles, the means for moving the needles intooperative position, the cam-bars, the locking and shaping slides, thescrew-shaft, the connections therefrom to the slides, the means forreciprocating the shaft with the slides, and the mechanism for rotatingthe screw-shaft to move the slides for shaping the fabric, substantiallyas described.

8. In combination, the needles, means for moving the needles intooperative position,

the cam-bars, locking and shaping slides, op-

crating mechanism therefor, and a detachable connection between saidslides and operating mechanism, substantially as described.

9. In combination, the needles, means for moving the needles intooperative position, the cam-bars, the locking-slides having a series ofnotches, the screw-shaft connected to the locking-slides, the means formoving the shaft longitudinally, consisting of the lever and cam, andthe means for rotating the screw, consisting of the loose pinion, thepawl, the rack-bar, the cam, the catchdever for holding the rackinoperative, and the pattern mechanism for Withdrawing thecatch-lever,substantially as described.

10. In combination, the needles, means for moving the needles intooperative position, the cam-bars, the locking-slides, the screwshaft,with means for operating the same, the

' detachable nut between the shaft and slides,

and the stop, substantially as described.

11. In combination, the needles and cambars of a straight-knittingmachine, athreadcarrier arranged over the rows having a knifeedgeadapted to open and hold the latches of the needles, and an opening forthe thread havin a mouth with the opposite ends thereof on oppositesides of the knife-edge, substanjtially as described.

10 a date 51 and means foradflisfiilwsaid late consisting of the platewith the inclined slot and the adjustable rod 56, connected to saidslotted plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of t\\"owitnesses.

FRANK WILGOMB. \Vitnesses:

LOREN G. LADD, DAVID J. WHITE.

